The Bible’s Clear Condemnation of Homosexuality

The Bible’s Clear Condemnation of Homosexuality — J. Ligon Duncan

“For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” – Romans 1:26-27

Paul himself in this passage makes it very clear that what he is saying about homosexuality is, in fact, based upon the Old Testament Law. And especially Leviticus, chapter 18, and Leviticus, chapter 20. But Paul doesnt say, you know, that unbiblical. What he says is, its unnatural. What does he mean by that? He means a lot of things by that, but he means at least this.

He means first of all that you don’t even have to have common sense to know that this is wrong. He says all you have to know is basic anatomy, and all you have to do is know animal biology to know that this is not the way its supposed to be. Nobody out there works this way. There are no female to female relations in the animal world like this. Your anatomy is even against it. Its not supposed to work that way. You dont even have to have any common sense to understand this, Paul says. Its unnatural. Its against nature. Its against the created order. Its against the way God made us to be. And when he says its unnatural, he means that everybody knows that. This is apparent to everyone. And, therefore, the people who engage in this have to work very hard to make their minds conform to their unnatural thinking and behaving. So the apostle Paul brings a strong charge against this particular type of activity.

Now Im well aware that we live in a society that tends to do two things with the Bibles teaching about homosexuality. It either says, well, we’ve all misunderstood the Bible. For 2000 years, Protestants Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Jews have all misunderstood the Bible. Actually the Bible doesn’t condemn homosexuality. And then there are others who say, well, the Bible’s wrong. We have understood the Bible, but the Bible is wrong. And neither of those answers will do. First of all, if you can mistake the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality, you can get the Bible to say anything. If you can mistake what the Bible says about homosexuality, you can make the Bible say that the moon is made of green cheese, and its raining lollipops. The Bible is crystal clear.

There are five passage which are absolutely unmistakable. In Genesis, chapter 19, in the story of Sodom. Moses makes it crystal clear that homosexual activity, all of it, is wrong. In Judges, were told in the story of Gibeah, chapter 19, in no uncertain terms that homosexuality is wrong. Moses, thirdly, in Leviticus 18 and in Leviticus 20 makes it absolutely clear that homosexuality is wrong. In fact, the language that Paul is using here in Romans 1 is pulled right out of the Greek translation of Leviticus 18 and Leviticus 20. Here in this passage today, as Paul describes decadent pagan societal practice, he again makes it clear that homosexuality is wrong. And then when you get to I Timothy 2, or I Corinthians 6 in that list of sins that will keep you out of the kingdom of heaven, homosexuality is once again mentioned, indicating once again that the Bible is unequivocal in its condemnation of homosexual practice. . .

. . .Paul in condemning male homosexuality is not just condemning kinds of male homosexuality, he’s condemning all of it. Oftentimes you will hear people say, well, what Paul is condemning is heterosexuals acting like homosexuals. What Paul is condemning is pederasty. Very common in the Greaco Roman world where an older man would attach himself to a young boy, and they would carry out a homosexual relationship. True, but that’s not everything that Paul is condemning. Paul is condemning all types of homosexual activity. You see it in the phrase “indecent acts,” and you see it in the word that he uses for homosexuality. It’s the word that comes from Leviticus 18 and Leviticus 20, and Moses describes it simply as this: man sleeping with man, man relating sexually to man. Period. All of it is out, according to the apostle Paul. And so Paul rules out all homosexuality.

taken from: God Gave Them Over (Part 2). Sermon delivered on May 21, 2000 at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi. Click here to read and/or listen to the entire sermon.

Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III is the Chancellor/CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary and the John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology.

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8 comments

You should say, “in my Opinion Paul is saying it`s unnatural”, instead of assuming what a man you never met meant. Also, you might want to google the sexual habit of animals. I don’t want to be innapropriate, but I will say that I have 2 male dogs and leave it at that. I share your faith and have respect for you standing up for what you believe. I do however find it odd that homosexuality is mention in less than 10 instances in the bible….there are hundreds of other verses about love, redemption, and forgiveness. Why not focus on the positive instead of making young gay teens feel horrible enough about themselves to commit suicide? Did you just skip over the book of James when you read the bible? Check out James 2:10-12 and 4:11. Also, isn`t being deformed unnatural? Isn`t it unnatural for a woman with cancer to freeze her eggs for later use in another woman so she can have a child with her Why the negativity when the bible is full of such wonderful stories about life and love? And drunkards are right beside homosexuality in Corinthians, so are we going to picket bars and liquor stores? Better yet, back to prohibition. For me, it all comes down to the book of James and the constant love present throught the bible. I don`t ever want to be the reason someone feels bad about being who they are. May peace be with you and yours.

I think it is pretty clear what Paul is teaching to the Romans. And just in case others, Gentiles, thought they were immune to judgment Paul includes another list of unrighteous acts. All of it is sin, all of it consistent with the OT.

Romans 2:4 reminds us of Gods “kindness and forbearance and patience” which is supposed to lead us to repentance. Verse 8 says those who “obey unrighteousness..there will be wrath and fury.”

The positive part is that man/woman can repent and be forgiven.

“Why not focus on the positive instead of making young gay teens feel horrible enough about themselves to commit suicide?”

This is rather manipulative…this sentence seems to be saying that those who speak the truth found in God’s Word cause others to commit suicide. God’s Word gives a way….There have been those who have turned away from the gay lifestyle and their testimonies can be found in the internet.

But minimizing God’s moral standards helps no one.

I love the book of James. I just taught from it this morning to my SS class. But remember that James quoted Gen 15:6 and reference Abraham as an illustration of faith. James teachings compliments the teachings of Paul.

As far as James 4:11 we are not to be speak evil of another brother. But we are never to condone sin.

Jesus Himself gave warnings and it was not always positive . In the parable of the weeds, they will be gathered at the harvest and burned, whoever would cause a little one to sin would be better off with a millstone around his neck and drowned in the depth of the sea. Or how about this…it is better to be crippled than thrown into the eternal fire…In the parable of wedding feast where the person is not clothed with righteousness, they will be cast into darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth…

These are just a few examples of judgment from Jesus Himself

About the drunkards…I am a 61 year old women who has been sober 30 years. Only by the grace of God was I delivered. Repentance and turning to God works even though some struggles still exist for many. I remember the hopelessness of those foggy days and the moral sin in my life. God is good and loving and wanting no one to perish He continued to call me back over and over again until I had no other place to go.

My heart goes out to all who struggle with sexual sin and addiction. It is a dark place but there is hope in Jesus and accepting the truth of our depravity and our need for Him.

I don’t ever want to be the reason someone did not hear the truth…that they will need to repent of sin, turn away from wickedness and trust in the Lord for salvation. We all fall short, each and every one of us and we need to throw ourselves on the mercy of God.

In James mentioning not to condone sin, I feel that it’s between a person and their God and I can be nice and respectful to someone and not agree with their views on anything. I don’t feel that it’s my place to judge another human being created perfectly in God’s image. The Lord makes no mistakes in his will, I believe. I don’t believe anyone should ever repent for how God made them. I just think that we should focus on all the positivity and love and stop judging people because they make mistakes or arent how we think they should be. One sin is equal to any other. maybe we can focus on not condoning rape, greed, incest, or liars, all of which a person chooses to commit. I do understand your point, but I choose to focus on acceptance and live and let live. not telling someone that there is something wrong with them and may go to hell.

First off, congratulations on your sobriety! When talking about not condoning sin, there are plenty of things people do that I find immoral. I don’t agree with it, but I don’t feel the need to judge. I can also get along with them and be respectful, as everyone is flawed. I don’t mean to minimize God’s moral standards, but that’s between the person and God. I don’t understand why a person created in God’s image should ever have to repent for how he was made. God makes no mistakes. Maybe we could focus on sins that people actually choose to commit, like rape, incest, lying, and adultry. I think people should always speak their truth, but I also realize that not everyone is of my faith and it would be wrong to tell them that only my way is the truth. i would never insult someone elses beliefs if they believed in love and acceptance of all people no matter now they are born.

It is not that Christians should make a point of sticking out an accusing finger and condemn people. But I believe the Bible. It is my plumbline. It says that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. The list in 1Corinthians 6:10 is ” sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who practice homosexuality, thieves, drunkards, revilers, swindlers….”

Here is what Got questions says about this verse. I expect you will not agree with it….

“Ultimately, sexual orientation is determined outside of the womb. For those who are unhappy living a homosexual lifestyle, this truth offers hope for change. Clinical experience has shown that, with help, some homosexuals can change learned responses and defense mechanisms to early painful experiences.

“In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, the sin of homosexuality is listed right next to theft. Just as there is no genetic excuse for stealing, there is no genetic excuse for homosexuality. Environment, culture, and choice make one a thief, and the same factors make one a homosexual.

“Christ died for homosexuals. God loves persons of all sexual orientations, just as He loves all sinners. The Bible says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus Christ “is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). The gospel of Christ “is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). In Christ alone we find the definitive source for healing, restoration, forgiveness, and comfort. He is the way by which we can all experience the affirming, unconditional love, value, and acceptance of our Father in heaven.

“I also realize that not everyone is of my faith and it would be wrong to tell them that only my way is the truth. i would never insult someone elses beliefs if they believed in love and acceptance of all people no matter now they are born.”

Either you believe the Bible or you do not. If you are in the faith then you will believe John 14:6. ” I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to Father except through me.”

It is not wrong to tell others that you believe Jesus is the only way…but do you really believe it ? The loss of absolute truth is a postmodern issue…

I also have gay customers that I have done business with for a long time…Even though they know my conservative position and where I stand we still can work together on projects. I do not hate them… in fact I care about them very much….my heart sorrows for their soul and I hope they see the love of Christ in my eyes. Maybe someday they will come to Him.

Well it is getting late for now and I have been enjoying our conversation…

Something I was just thinking about…Drunkards are right along there with homosexuality..

Alcoholism runs in my family…My first drink at 15 indicated I was going to have a problem as I loved it and was easily addicted. So my body was predisposed to it. So I was born with the tendency to drink. Yet through Christ, I was able to overcome. I still have to abstain but I have no desire for alcohol anymore. God can change you.

I understand what you are saying. I`ve read multiple articles about if you`re born gay, it`s a choice (which who would choose to be tormented and bullied) or it`s a product of childhood. I have found no definitive answers. As far as theft being next to homosexuality, cleptomania is a mental disease you are born with. I’m not implying that being gay is a disorder though. And as you said, addiction runs rampant in some peoples genetic make up. I dont think there is anything wrong with telling people about my faith, God, Jesus. But only if they ask. I wouldn`t want someone to just walk up to me and start telling me about their religion as the only way. I would be offended. I respect other people`s choices to believe as they choose because I would want the same. It doesnt mean i have to agree though. Also, if being gay is a choice, could you or I choose to be a lesbian for a year? I couldn`t. I should also mention that I’m not a Christian literalist. I see most of it metaphorically.